


Don't Go

by WinterWitch611



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt, Established Relationship, Hurt, I'm Sorry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-19
Updated: 2018-07-19
Packaged: 2019-06-13 01:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15352869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterWitch611/pseuds/WinterWitch611
Summary: Clint accepts a mission. He'll be gone for weeks. Bucky begs him not to leave. Something strange is happening to him... Clint should have listened.





	Don't Go

“Don’t go.”

“C’mon, Buck. We’ve been over this. I’ll only be gone a few weeks.”

“Yeah… yeah, I know. But…”

Bucky runs out of the room again. He’s been doing that a lot lately. Clint thinks it’s odd but nothing to be concerned about. Sometimes Bucky gets overwhelmed and needs a moment to get his thoughts together so he doesn’t lash out.

Truth of the matter is he’s developed a cough. Knowing full well there’s no way he should be ill, he’s worried— actually he’s scared. He just can’t seem to bring himself to tell Clint. He knows he should, he just can’t. This is serious. How do you tell the person you love that you might be dying?

Clint finishes packing up and begins putting on his tac gear. It’s settled then, he’s going on the mission Bucky has been begging him not to go on. Why couldn’t he listen… just once?

  
~~~~~~~~~~

  
“Steve?” Bucky lets himself in to his best friend’s quarters just like he always does. “Hey, pal… you here?” he calls out, as he walks through the living room.

“Yeah, in the back,”Steve responds. Bucky makes his way to the bedroom where Steve is working at his desk. “What’s going on?”he asks. When he turns around his startled by the look on his friend’s face. “Buck? Are you okay?”

“He left, Steve. I begged him not to go. I really needed him to stay this time. Why couldn’t he just—” A violent coughing fit overtakes him. He coughs so hard he can barely catch his breath.

“Jesus Christ! What he hell!? FRIDAY we need medical…NOW!” Steve commands the tower’s AI, as he rushes to help his friend.

“I’ve already alerted them, Captain Rogers. They are in route,”she informs him.

“C’mon Buck. Take it easy. Slow steady breaths.”

“I don’t… I don’t need medical,”he says, as he gasps and begins coughing again.

Steve goes pale when it dawns on him. “Bucky” he swallows and tries to keep calm. “…you can’t be sick. The serum… we don’t get sick. This is something else. You need help.” As Steve’s panic starts to set in there’s a knock at the door and someone yells “We’re coming in Captain!”

“In here!! Hurry!!” he shouts back.

When the medics reach the bedroom, they find Bucky coughing up blood. They try to hide their shock and act professionally; but this is not something they ever thought they’d see. Super Soldiers aren’t susceptible to illness. They don’t “catch a cold” or “come down with the flu”. They tell FRIDAY to alert the medical team that they have a serious problem. All hands on deck.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

  
Steve sits at Bucky’s bedside. He holds his friend’s hand and tells him he’s going to be okay even if he doesn’t believe it. It’s been two weeks and there’s no sign of improvement. If anything, Bucky has gotten worse.

They’ve called in countless experts, Tony has spared no expense flying doctors and specialists in from around the world. He’s grown fond of Bucky over the years. He even forgave him for what he did while under the control of HYDRA. It was difficult, but if he was going to have any sort of relationship with Steve, he needed to accept the fact that what happened was out of Bucky’s hands. He was nothing more than the vessel that carried out the acts.

Steve appreciates all of Tony’s efforts, it’s actually brought them closer. He didn’t think he had a shot with the genius after what had happened. However, It seems a crisis brings out the best in people. Tony has been there every day. Sitting by his side. Tapping away on his laptop looking for answers. Searching for anything that might give them hope. He’s also been the shoulder to cry on and arms to find comfort in.

This isn’t how Steve wanted to start their relationship but he’s grateful Tony is there for him. When he thinks about how much Tony’s presence is helping him, he wonders if Clint’s presence would help Bucky. He should be here. He needs to be here.  
All attempts to reach Clint and Natasha have failed. The mission they’re on is high security; communication is limited. The moment they left, all trackers and comms had been disabled. He keeps trying— he won’t stop trying. He’s even sent messages to SHIELD asking for clearance to contact the agents. He was denied. The fact that a mission is taking precedence, in their eyes, is sickening.

All he can do is focus on Bucky. Make sure he knows he’s not alone and there are people who love him. “Come on, pal. You have to pull through this. I can’t lose you again. This isn’t how this is supposed to go. We’re supposed to grow old and die together. Don’t do this to me, Bucky,” Steve pleads. “Don’t do this to Clint. He needs you. You know what a disaster he is. Can you imagine what he be like if you’re not around? Please, pal, don’t go.”

The beeping of machines is all the response he gets. It’s driving him mad. Tony has been trying to get him to take a break. To eat and sleep… to just leave the room for a little while maybe clear his head a little. No luck. Steve is stubborn as a mule, no way he’s leaving his friend’s side. It’s taking a toll on his health. He’s lost too much weight, there are dark circles around his eyes, he hasn’t slept in days.

“Steve, please, I’m begging you, get some rest,”Tony pleads. “You can’t take care of him if you don’t take care of yourself.”

“I’m not leaving! Stop trying to get me to leave. There’s nothing you can say to get me to…” Steve coughs. His eyes widen in shock. No, this can’t be happening. Tony calls for help as Steve coughs so hard, he can’t breathe. He collapses. Tony’s heart sinks.

The medical team is completely baffled. Not a single thing they’ve tried has helped, and now both Super Soldiers are on life support. Whatever this is hit Steve twice as fast as it it hit Bucky. It has to have something to do with the versions of the serum they received, Tony spends days searching through his father’s files. Looking for anything that could give him a clue what to look for, a direction to take, anything! He wants to stay by Steve’s side but that won’t save him.

When the alarms begin to ring, FRIDAY alerts Tony. “Boss, I’m afraid you need to report to the medical floor immediately.”

He drops everything and runs as fast as he can the elevator. His heart is pounding as he reaches the room the alarms are coming from. It’s Bucky. The medical team tries for over 30 minutes but there’s no use. He’s gone.

Tony runs to Steve’s room. He feels the tears streaming down his cheeks. He knows he’s running out of time. All the hours and days of research and he’s no closer to an answer. He needs to be here. Bucky died alone, he doesn’t want that for Steve. He pulls a chair up to the bed and takes his hand.  
“I need to tell you something. I hope you can hear me.”, he takes a deep breath and wipes his tears. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you, I was just too stupid and scared to tell you.”

The confession only makes his tears flow harder. The realization that he’ll never get to look into Steve’s eyes and tell him how much he means to him. The pain is overwhelming, he knows what’s coming and all the money in the world won’t be able to stop it. He leans over and kisses Steve’s forehead and whispers in his ear...

“Don’t go”

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by Caramell0w


End file.
